The Thin Line Got Thinner
by Lunadeath
Summary: Harry and Draco have a more civilized banter, and Harry ends up with a treat. slash hints slight DH


The Thin Line Got Thinner

Warnings: Slash hints, Some SPOILERS to book 5

Rated: PG (heh, sorry)

Notes: I have read Ivyblossoms explanation about how Harry/Draco isn't dead, and I agree whole heartily.  Draco's been the same old git we all know and love, and if you look close enough, the line between love and hate had gotten a tad thinner.

I wrote this ficlet before I even wrote Unite or Crumble, and I forgot all about it.  I had only posted it on my Livejournal.  It's kind of short, but like everyone else after reading book 5, I was wondering where the love had gone from Draco… well, I have found it, and then some! (think back to the part where Draco loses his concentration during the O.W.L.s because of Harry…)  As far as I know this won't continue.  It all depends on my muse.  Besides, I have like four other fics I need to concentrate on first. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters- Harry and Draco belong to J. K. Rowling, not me!

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          Time and time again, Harry found himself at the bank of the lake at Hogwarts.  He sat himself down, Indian style, to stare at the calming waters.  After a while, he would close his eyes and do that relaxation technique that Kingsley had taught him.  Harry would do his best to empty his mind of any thoughts- channeling his anger- feeling more at peace.  He had to, or the images of his nightmares would spring into his mind and torment him.

          He was just about to get in a deep Zen, when he felt a disturbance- a presence next to him.  Harry's eyes snapped open in alarm, and then shifted to his right.

          There, sitting next to him, in the same style, was Draco Malfoy.  He was doing a mocking pose of Harry meditating with his hands palm-up and shaped into claws, eyes closed and chin raised.

          "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Harry bellowed.

          Malfoy stuck a finger into his left ear and rubbed it, "Sorry, Potter, I didn't hear you- perhaps you could shout a little louder?  I can still hear out of this ear."

          "Well then- take your finger out so that I CAN make you go deaf!"

          "You know what your problem is, Potter?" Malfoy turned just his head to stare Harry in the eye.

          "No, but I'll bet you could tell me."

          "Oh, yes," Malfoy smirked, "there are plenty of things that I can name off that is wrong with you.  But that would take until our seventh year, and by the time it was our seventh, there would be more problems added to the list."

          Harry felt his temper rise.  "Look, I don't want to hear your opinions about me, and I don't want you sitting next to me either, so go away before I hex you to the moon."

          "You've done plenty to me last year, Potter, thanks.  But I'm not leaving."

          "Why?" Harry said through his gritted teeth.  He really wanted to smack him.

          "Because," Malfoy sneered, "You're sitting in MY spot."

          "Oh, boo-hoo," Harry said, "Go find another spot, then."

          "No, no, no…" Malfoy grinned cheekily, "I quite like this spot." He looked down and saw that their knees were almost touching.

          Harry looked down too, and then scooted over a little- away from the Slytherin.

          "Oh, don't worry, Potter, I won't bite."

          "I might, though." Harry snarled.

          "Look, I won't say a thing.  We'll just sit here and not talk to each other."

          "Fine," Harry spat out, "Whatever."

          He shut his eyes again, almost in complete ease, except for his twitching hand on the pocket of his robe, which hid his wand.  They were in silence for about three minutes before Draco broke it, getting Harry irritated for being interrupted.

          "Chocolate Frog?"

          Harry glared at the offered treat, "That's what it looks like."

          "I mean, do you want it?"

          "No," Harry said tersely, "I don't want anything from you."

          "You like chocolate frogs, don't you?  And I don't want it…"

          "Well, neither do I!"

          "Quit being such a ungrateful snot, Potter."

          "I can be however I want!  Especially to great bullying gits like you!"

          "Hmm- speaking of bullies…" Draco put the Chocolate Frog back into his pocket; "I've found out that your father was the playground bully back in his days…"

          "SHUT UP!"  Harry shouted as he got to his feet.  His hand was going for his wand, "DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT!"

          Malfoy stood too, "My, my- a bit high strung, are we?  Don't like the fact that your _mother_ had actually HATED your father?  That she couldn't stand how he acted, and that your father made her SICK?"

          Harry blinked, "H-How did you-?  How do you know about all of that?"

          Malfoy smirked, shrugging one of his shoulders, "I was looking in on Professor Snape's memories and happened to come across that particular one.  I must say, I was shocked to see how your father behaved.  He was such an arrogant, bullying, self-righteous git.  Sound like someone you know?"

          "YES!" Harry shouted in anger before he could stop himself, "YOU!!"

          Malfoy smirked triumphantly.

          Harry suddenly felt his insides turn into lead.

          "So," Malfoy said, "they hated each other, yet they got together and had you.  Why is that?"

          Harry could feel all of his calmness disappear, blood boiling.  This was a very touchy subject for him because the one that told him that his mother started liking his father later on in their seventh year was no longer with him.

          "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

          Malfoy raised an eyebrow, and then his gaze went to Harry's hair.  Just how would *Harry* Potter look with mussed, wind-swept looking hair?  He thought about this for a while then put his hand into his pocket.

          Harry took that as a sign that Malfoy was about to take out his wand, so he reached into his own robe to pull out his wand.

          When Malfoy removed his hand from his pocket, he didn't have his wand in it- it was the chocolate frog.

          "Here," he tossed it to Harry and Harry caught it with his left hand in surprise, "Just take the damn thing.  It's not like I can't buy more.  And you don't have to say you got it from me," he said quickly before Harry could protest, "Just say you found it lying out here- I could have dropped it but you wouldn't know it was mine."

          Harry looked at the Chocolate Frog for a while as he considered Malfoy's idea.

          "All right," he finally said and then stuck it into his robe, "but I'm checking it for jinxes first before I eat it."

          "Does this mean you don't trust me?" Draco batted his lashes.

          Harry snorted.

          "And you think I'd poison you?  Here on school grounds?"

          "I wouldn't put it past you," Harry said.

          Malfoy looked down at Harry's wand and then back up to his face.

          "So- you won't go out with me, then?"

          Harry choked on his own breath.

          "HELL NO."

          Draco smirked, "Even if it were a choice between me and the giant squid?"

          Harry's eyes grew in surprise and then his fingers tightened around his wand. "DON'T YOU EVER—JUST DON'T GO AROUND TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT THAT!"

          "Love, hate…" Malfoy shrugged, "Just how thin is the line?"

          "GO AWAY, MALFOY, BEFORE I BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU AGAIN!!"

          Malfoy gave Harry one last smirk before turning around to head for the castle.

          Harry watched the back of Malfoy, his robe flowing out behind him, and then he pulled out the chocolate frog and fiddled with it thoughtfully.

          Well- if he ate it now, he wouldn't have to explain about just why he wanted the chocolate to be tested for jinxes.  If anything, if something did happen, Malfoy would be in major trouble.  He opened the little box and the frog jumped straight to his chest.  He grasped it, held it close to him, fingers getting full of chocolate, before biting off the head.

          It tasted fine to him.

~End~


End file.
